Inception on par with Batman

Combining “Pulp Fiction,” “Penrose Stairs,” “Brick” and… Combining “Pulp Fiction,” “Penrose Stairs,” “Brick” and the Hindu creation myth, Christopher Nolan’s “Inception” is more than even the most dedicated Batman fans might expect but nothing “Titanic” fanatics won’t love, too.

Jammed with real, artistic camerawork that highlights Nolan’s terse-is-beautiful dialogue, “Inception” follows Leonardo DiCaprio, Ellen Page and Joseph Gordon-Levitt through a four-dimensional (take that “Avatar”) dream world where down is up, right is left and one second can equal 10 years.

What lies at the center of the picaresque plot of this psychological thriller set within the landscape of the mind? Picture the RMS Titanic sailing through the Bermuda Triangle. Or James Bond and his red-headed squeeze hitching up with Morpheus in a world where, as Leo puts it, “The idea is the most dangerous parasite.”

If David Foster Wallace had a lucid dream, he would be hard pressed to match Nolan’s creative vision and his penchant for blurring the line between movies and films. And in a year where Hollywood seems more apt to push a gimmicky 3-D sequel, this flick’s genuinely artistic and cathartic style will please Tarantino buffs and “Twilight” boppers alike.